Chasing Dreams
by enlightened.owl
Summary: Esme always dreamed of looking after and caring for a child but her vampire 'kids' don't really need looking after anymore. Payton has always dreamed of finding a loving family that would look after and love her. That's all she really wanted: a family. But what is she and how is that possible? Can they help her find out? Can they help each other turn those to dreams into reality?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! This is just an idea that I thought of and wrote to see if any of you like it, so let me know!**

 **Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stehenie Meyer.**

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"Esme, can I talk to you?" came Alice's voice from the stairs as she made her way downstairs and into the living room where Esme was.

"Of course, Alice. What is it?" Esme asked, putting down the book that she was reading as she saw Alice enter.

Other than these two individuals the rest of the house was empty with everyone having gone hunting moments before. This was the perfect opportunity that Alice had been waiting for so that she could speak to Esme alone.

The petite vampire made her way to the sofa and sat down next to her mother. "Forks High School needs a 9th grade homeroom teacher" she stated simply.

"Alice, darling, I don't think I understand" Esme told her, confused.

"Well... I was thinking about how much you have always wanted to be a teacher and I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity for you"

"Alice... I'm not so sure..."

"I really think you should apply, they'll definitely want to hire you" Alice continued to persuade Esme.

"There's something else isn't there?"

"How did you know?" It always amazed Alice how Esme knew what they were really thinking when they came to talk to her.

"Mother's intuition" Esme smiled. Her motherly intuition always made sure that she knew what was really bothering her children. "Now what's this sudden idea really about? I'm betting there's a vision involved"

"Well, I did have this vision, I don't know a lot yet, but there's this kid that really needs our help. She needs your help, Esme"

"A 9th grader at Forks High School needs _my_ help?" Esme clarified to which Alice nodded.

"I'm not too sure about this, Alice" Esme looked uncertainly at her daughter.

"It'll be fine, I've seen it. Promise me you'll at least think about it?"

"I promise I'll think about it"

Satisfied, Alice got up and skipped back up the stairs to her room just as abruptly as she came. Esme didn't return to reading her book, there was so many things to think about; so many things could happen, both good and bad.

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"Alice suggested I take a job as a teacher at the High School" Esme informed her husband that evening when they were sitting together on the sofa.

"Are you going to?"

"I'm not so sure that it's a good idea"

Carlisle, confused and concerned, pulled back from their embrace to look at his wife."I thought you've always wanted to be a teacher"

"That was before I became a vampire" Esme confessed. "Besides, Alice also said that there's a 9th grader that needs my help and I'm just not sure that I'll be able to help them. I'm afraid that I won't be able to her them"

"Why does this 9th grader specifically need your help? What could be so important that Alice needs you to go and help them?"

"I'm not sure, Alice said she doesn't know much yet, but I was thinking the same thing"

They sat there in silence for a while, both lost in their own thoughts.

"Why don't you want to be a teacher anymore?" Carlisle gently asked his wife.

"It's not that I don't want to be a teacher, I do it's just that... Carlisle, I'm a vampire. What if I slip up?" Esme finished in a whisper.

"We would never let you slip up, love. Alice would see it and we would make sure it didn't happen. Besides, you have your thirst under control, it has been a long time since you last slipped up and we could go hunting frequently just to be sure that you were not thirsty"

After a moment of silence Carlisle continued, seeing that Esme wasn't going to answer. "I think this would be a good experience for you, love. It would make a nice change for you to do something you cared for and not stay at home alone"

"I promised Alice that I'd think about it" Esme told Carlisle as she leaned back into him and stared forward.

"Good" Carlisle lovingly kissed her head and stayed quiet, sensing that Esme wanted some time to think about it.

That is how they spent the rest of the night: in silence. Esme thought about Alice's proposition while Carlisle held her in his arms, making sure that his wife knew that he would support her whatever she decided to do.

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 **Let me know if you like it! Thanks for reading! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello anyone who is reading this! I'm not sure if anyone's interested and if I should continue with this story so let me know!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, it belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

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It was the beginning of September, the first day of school and the Cullens were all getting ready to go to school, even Esme. It had been a year since they had moved to Forks so this year Alice and Edward were posing to be sophomores while Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper were pretending to be 17 and juniors. Esme had finally, after many days of consideration, decided to apply for the job and, just as Alice had told her, they offered her the position. She knew she couldn't miss out on an opportunity like this, especially if there was a child that needed her help, which was exactly what Alice had been counting on.

It took two cars to get everyone to the High School but soon they were in the car park all going their separate ways to get to where they needed to be. Esme rushed into her classroom to make sure that everything was perfect before the children arrived. It wasn't long before they started to file in, mostly in groups, talking and laughing with each other. As soon as she walked in Esme that this was the kid that she was looking for, that this was who needed her help.

As they got closer to the start of school Alice had been able to give Esme a few more details about the 9th grader that needed her help. She still didn't know much, only that her name was Payton and that she didn't have a home or a family - a detail that made Esme's unbeating heart break. What Esme did know was that the girl that had just walked through the door was definitely Payton.

The blonde haired and blue eyed teenager was quite small compared to everyone else and, unlike everyone else, had walked into the classroom quietly and not surrounded by a crowd of her friends. She whispered a quiet "good morning" to Esme before making her way to the back of the classroom and sitting down in the seat in the corner by the window. The child stared out of the window at the forest outside for a few minutes before pulling out a book from her bag and starting to read. Esme knew that this had to be the child that Alice was talking about judging by the way she was reading instead of interacting with the others and the way that some of the other kids looked at her occasionally.

It wasn't long before the bell rang and everyone took their seats.

"Hello everyone" Esme started to introduce herself as soon as everyone had sat down. "My name is Mrs Cullen and I'm going to be taking homeroom this year"

She then proceeded to take the register and easily memorize the names of all the students in her class.

Esme was only about one third through taking the register when the name came up. "Payton Gray?"

"Yes ma'am" Sure enough it was the small, quiet girl sitting at the back of the classroom that answered, her book lying closed on the table in front of her.

Esme continued the register as if she hadn't just made a finding that would get her closer to helping the young girl. There was nothing that she could do to help yet, she had to wait.

The day wasn't a very eventful one apart from Esme meeting all of the students that she would be teaching for the next year.

"I see that you've met Payton" Alice said as she walked into Esme's classroom during her lunch break.

Esme couldn't help but smile at the double meaning behind her words as she nodded her head. "She's not a very open kid is she?"

"She's very shy" Alice agreed. "From what I've seen she doesn't have many friends either so really she all alone right now"

"Poor kid!"

"Don't worry Esme, we'll help her" Alice assured her. "The future is already getting clearer regarding Payton from the decisions you're making, so you just have to keep doing what you're doing"

"Does that mean that are futures are somehow entwined? I mean if the decisions I'm making are having an impact on her future"

"In a way I think they are" Alice replied, deep in thought. "I think it's the fact that we're trying to help her that's making some of her future rely on the decisions you're making. That means there must be a decision we'll have to make in order to help her"

"We'll figure it out soon" Esme told her just as the bell rang and Alice had to make her way to lesson.

It turned out that Payton was also in the 9th grade English class that Esme taught, which gave her even more chances to be able to get to know her and to keep an eye out for her. She hadn't been able to learn much about the girl, even when she had asked the class to introduce themselves she only got her name unlike the other students who also included a little detail about themselves. Esme knew that it would take time, and time was exactly what she had plenty of.

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 **Thanks for reading! Please let me know if you have any ideas and if you want me to continue because I'm not sure if anyone's interested.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello anyone who is reading this! I'm not sure if anyone's interested and if I should continue with this story so let me know!**

 **Thanks to my reviewers:**

lydia98 X2

Joanna Karen Rain

purple44

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, it belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

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After around two months into the school year Alice was able to come up with a plan as to how Esme could start to help Payton and now it was up to Esme to execute it.

Esme took a deep and unnecessary breath before knocking gently on Rosalie's door. Emmett had gone out hunting with Jasper and Edward and so she was standing outside Rosalie and Emmet's room, preparing herself for what she was going to ask Rosalie.

"Come in" came a voice from inside.

Esme slowly pulled down the handle and peered into the room from behind thee door. "Can I talk to you, Rosalie?"

The blonde didn't answer but simply shut the laptop that was lying on her knees and sat up, which Esme took a 'yes' and made her was into the room, closing the door behind her.

"What did you want to talk about?" Rosalie asked as she nodded towards the chair by the window seeing Esme standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.

The family members were never really sure about how to approach Rosalie without making her retreat further into her shell, for that was what Esme knew really happened when Rosalie's ice cold personality comes out. She had to be careful not to lose this one chance she had to ask for Rosalie's help.

"I need to ask for a favour"

Rosalie looked at her both surprised and confused. "What sort of favour?"

"I decided to take the job at the High School because Alice told me that there is a girl there that needs our help"

Seeing the confused expression cover Rosalie's face Esme decided to simply continue.

"This girl, Payton, has no family, no home" Esme watched as Rosalie's face saddened. "Alice and I have been trying to figure out a way to help her and we decided we need to get close to her first, which is where you come in"

"I don't understand" Rosalie told her, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She really didn't see how she could help. "I don't even know her"

"Payton has been falling behind in some of her classes, mainly Spanish English and Math, so I was thinking... maybe you could offer to tutor her?" Esme asked, hoping she'd agree.

"You want me to tutor a 9th grader?"

Esme nodded. She could see that Rosalie secretly wanted to help, even though she was pretending not to care.

"Why me? Why can't Alice or someone else tutor her?"

"Alice said that it has to be you or otherwise it wont work. She also said that you are better at those subjects than she or the others are" Esme tried persuading her.

Rosalie knew that this was not fully true as they were vampires and they all already knew and understood all that was taught at school, but it was nice to hear. "I guess it wouldn't hurt..." Esme's face broke out into a grin.

"But I'm not doing this because I want to, I'm only doing it because you need help" she quickily added, trying to hide how happy she was that she could help.

"Great!" Esme said grinning as she walked to the door and shut it behind her. "Thank you, Rosalie"

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It was at the end of homeroom the next day when Esme called Payton back to talk to her. "Payton, can I talk to you please?"

She was already near the door, always the last one out, when she stopped and turned around. "Yes, Mrs Cullen?"

"Please, take a seat" Esme said kindly, pointing to the chair standing by her desk.

She watched as Payton nervously sat down on the edge of the chair before continuing. "I've had a look at your grades and I've noticed that you're struggling in some of your classes, am I right?"

"Yes ma'am"

"Now, from what I can see here..." Esme started, looking at the grades on her computer even though she had memorized them the first time she looked. "You're doing very well in Music and Chemistry but you seem to be falling behind in Spanish, Math and English?"

"Yes ma'am" Payton muttered staring at the floor in shame.

"Well, I do have a proposition for you" Esme told her with a kind and gentle smile.

Payton looked at Esme, curious. "What is it?"

"As it happens one of my daughters enjoys those particular subjects and has offered to tutor you"

"She has? Why?" Payton looked at Esme, even more confused.

"I knew that she likes those and knew enough to help you, so I asked her and she said that she'd be happy to help you"

"How does that sound?" Esme asked Payton after she didn't speak.

"Are you sure she's okay with it?" Payton asked, still unsure.

"I'm sure"

"Then that sounds great, Mrs Cullen"

"Great!" Esme smiled and leaned back in her chair. "She'll be waiting for you in the library today afterschool. Now you should get to class before you're late"

"Thank you, Mrs Cullen" Payton smiled, walking out the door.

Esme breathed a sigh of relief as she walked out and her next class started to make their way in. She had purposefully not mentioned Rosalie's name for the fear that she might decline the offer based on what she might know about Rosalie. Rosalie could be a nice person when she wanted to and Esme didn't want the things students thought about Rosalie to affect her decision; she wanted to give Rosalie a chance to make a good impression on Payton without any preconceptions.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Please let me know if you have any ideas and if you want me to continue because I'm not sure if anyone's interested.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello anyone who is reading this! I'm not sure if anyone's interested and if I should continue with this story so let me know!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, it belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

* * *

Payton couldn't help but take her time as she walked out of class and upstairs towards the library. She really wasn't sure about this but she knew that it was something that she needed to do if she wanted her grades to improve. Her grades had to improve if she wanted to get anywhere and if this was the only way then so be it.

Payton knew that Mrs Cullen wanted to help her and that's what she found herself focusing on as she walked into the library to find Rosalie Hale sitting surrounded by empty chairs, waiting for her. She was just about to turn back and make a run for it when the blonde looked up and made eye contact. Then she smiled. Rosalie Hale smiled. From what Payton heard from the other kids about the Cullens, Rosalie wasn't very nice. 'But since when does she listen to the other kids?' she told herself. It's not like they don't say things about her that aren't exactly true. She decided that she was going to have to walk in there and make her own mind up about Rosalie Hale.

Slowly, she made her way in between the tables and stood by the seat opposite Rosalie. "Um, hi" she spoke nervously.

"Hey, I'm Rosalie" she introduced herself.

"Payton"

After a long and awkward silence Rosalie spoke. "So, uh are you gonna sit down or..."

"Um... yeah" Payton muttered as she awkwardly pulled out a chair and sat down, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

"So, Esme, my mom, said you needed some help in Spanish, Math and English?"

"Yeah"

"Do you have anything specific that you want to go through?"

Payton smiled. "No, I pretty much suck at everything" she said, making Rosalie chuckle.

"Okay, have you got your books?"

Payton nodded, grabbed her books out of her backpack and dropped the pile loudly onto the table, earning her a look from the librarian and a quiet laugh from Rosalie.

"Well, how about we look through them and make a list of what you need help with?"

"Sure"

They spent the next half an hour looking through Payton's books and textbooks with Payton pointing out anything that she didn't understand. Rosalie wrote down all of the topics that she pointed out and any that she could think of that linked.

"That's quite a list we have here" Rosalie said, looking down at the double sided piece of paper densely filled with writing.

"Yeah" Payton agreed, her cheeks red in embarrassment again.

"Lets get started then"

For the next hour or so they started going through the topics on the list, one by one until Rosalie looked up at the clock. The managed to go through the first couple of topics, but there were still plenty left. "We should get going, it's getting quite late"

Payton nodded and started to pack up her things. They both stood up and together walked out of the library and into the car park.

"Do you need a lift home?"

Payton shook her head quickly, she didn't need a ride 'home'. "No thanks, I can walk"

"Are you sure? It's starting to get dark"

"I'm sure. Thank you for helping me" Payton smiled shyly.

"It's no problem. I think we should meet about twice a week so same time Thursday?"

"Sure"

"Okay. See you around kid"

Payton waved awkwardly as Rosalie got in her car and drove away. She shifted her backpack on her back and started to walk towards the forest. It didn't take long for her to reach her 'home', but she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following her. Looking around, she didn't see anyone anywhere near her so she tried to ignore the feeling as she started to climb up her tree. Little did she know that a Cullen were there, hidden deep in the trees.

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Rosalie sped to the house and parked her car in the garage before running into the forest, looking for Payton's scent. Esme had told her that Payton didn't have a home and Rosalie was prepared to find out exactly what that meant. She was going to find out where Payton lives.

She headed to the edge of the forest closer to the High School and, once she found it, followed Payton's scent as the girl walked through the forest. Rosalie watched as she stopped by a tree and looked around suspiciously before climbing up. She watched as Payton occasionally looked back as she climbed, almost as if she knew that she was being watched.

After Payton had climbed high enough out of view Rosalie looked up at the tree before sprinting back towards the house, where she was greeted by Esme.

"Hi, Rose. How did it go?"

Rosalie was still upset about what she had seen when she answered. "It was good but she didn't talk much. She's going to need quite a lot of help before her grades improve, there's a lot of stuff she doesn't understand, but I want to help her"

Esme smiled. "I thought you would"

"Esme, she lives in a tree" Rosalie blurted out after a moment of silence.

"What do you mean?" Esme asked her, worry filling her face.

"I followed her and I watched her climb a tree. There was a tree house at the top, quite far up and, from what I could see, it was built by her"

Esme gasped. "That's dangerous! What if she falls down?"

"I know, we have to help her. We will help her"

Esme nodded in agreement as Rosalie made her way up to her room.

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 **Thanks for reading! Please let me know if you have any ideas and if you want me to continue because I'm not sure if anyone's interested.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello anyone who is reading this! I'm not sure if anyone's interested and if I should continue with this so let me know!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, it belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

* * *

It was just over a month of Rosalie's tutoring before Payton had important tests and Rosalie had helped her to study for them all to help make sure that her grades were better than in the last test. Today they had given out the results and Payton was surprised to find out that she had in fact aced them compared to how she usually does. With Rosalie's help she had managed to get A's in both the Math and Spanish tests and a B in the English test, her highest grades yet.

Payton was very excited when she found out and wanted to tell Rosalie, but today wasn't one of their study days and the Cullens hadn't showed up at school that day. They had decided to meet up on Tuesdays and Thursdays every week but today was Wednesday.

Somehow none of the other kids had found out about her being tutored by Rosalie Hale so she was not their target any more than she already was, something Payton was definitely grateful for. They were already picking on her because she wasn't like them, she was different from everyone else, but Payton could deal with that. She just didn't want anyone to find out that she needed help and that she wasn't smart enough to get good grades on her own. It wasn't like she had anyone else to help her with her homework or school work, but no one actually knew that and Payton wanted to keep it that way.

Payton started to make her way home, but found herself continuing in a different direction altogether. It was a warm and sunny day but it was starting to get dark as the sun had returned behind its normal blanket of clouds. Soon she found herself standing outside the large mansion in the middle of the forest: the Cullen's house. For some reason she wanted to tell Rosalie about her test results as soon as possible. Over the last month they had become quite close and Rosalie was one of Payton's friends. Her only friend, but Payton didn't like to think like that. Besides, there was no one else left that she could tell; she didn't have anyone waiting for her at home making sure she was getting good grades anymore.

Suddenly reality caught up with her as soon as she had rung the doorbell. What was she going to say? What was she even doing here? What was she thinking? She couldn't just randomly show up on their doorstep! But it was too late as the door quickly swung open. Payton looked like a deer caught in headlights as Esme stood smiling in the doorway.

"Hello, can I help you, Payton?"

"Um... Mrs Cullen, hi. I was just... I'm uh... Is Rosalie in?" She finally managed to choke out.

"No, not yet. She should be back in a moment. Do you want to come in and wait?" Esme asked her, hoping that she would say yes.

"Um no, that's okay I'm... I've got to be somewhere anyway..." Payton started to say, just as a car pulled into the driveway behind her.

"Well, that's them anyway" Esme told Payton, who looked ready to bolt at any second.

Payton watched nervously as everyone got out of the car and made their way up to the front door. She was greeted with hi's and hey's as they walked past her, which were met with whispered hi's back.

"Hey, kid" Rosalie greeted her as she walked up last as everyone had gone inside.

"Hi"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah I just- I wanted to show you..." Payton said as she rummaged through her bag, grabbed the test papers and handed them to Rosalie, grinning. "This"

"A, A and B" Rosalie said, looking at the papers before raising her hand in the air for a high-five, Payton had to jump up to hit it because of her height, that was gladly accepted. "These are really good, well done" Rosalie smiled as she handed the papers back to Payton, who put them back into her backpack.

"Yeah, well I just wanted to say thank you and you weren't in school today so... thanks" Payton stuttered, her shyness slowly resurfacing.

"You're welcome, but it wasn't all me. This is thanks to your hard work too"

"Yeah" Payton blushed. "Well I gotta go, but thank you"

Rosalie smiled again.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" She called after Payton, who had already started to make her way down the drive.

"Sure" Payton replied before jogging back towards the woods.

Rosalie had gone inside, shut the door and was making her way upstairs when she heard Alice shout.

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 **Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review and let me know if you like this story or have any ideas/suggestions and if you want me to continue :)**


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